Consumer Psychology Guide

Marketing Specialist - The Career

When companies need big, bold ideas to increase profits and buzz for a product or service, they ask marketing specialists to assist with the brainstorming and implementation of new marketing campaigns.

Marketing specialists are either in-house professionals or brought on independently on a project-by-project basis. In either scenario, these marketing experts have the tools necessary to develop, execute, and monitor marketing plans, providing direction and advice about how best to reach a target market.

What do they do?

Marketing specialists help oversee a marketing campaign along with the marketing manager and marketing coordinator. At times their duties overlap, but marketing specialists are usually focused more on a singular task at one time rather than many.

Location and Opportunity

Marketing specialists find work in a variety of locations across the United States. According to Indeed.com, there is greatest demand for marketing specialists in the following areas:

New York, NY

Chicago, IL

Houston, TX

San Francisco, CA

Atlanta, GA

Working in supportive roles, they may perform duties ranging from market analyzation, to coordination of marketing events like trade shows. They've usually shown past expertise in whatever role they take on, with the ability to assess marketing campaigns for their merits or negative aspects.

Marketing specialists work across marketing departments to accomplish their goals. Other professionals they work in frequent contact with include:

Qualifications

Companies usually bring on marketing specialists who have a proven set of marketing skills and experience. Usually, marketing specialist gain several years of experience in a variety of marketing roles before being hired as “specialists.”

Most marketing specialists earn at least bachelor's degrees in marketing before entering the field. This gives them the initial skill set they need to assess marketing campaigns and brainstorm new market strategies.

Become a Marketing Specialist

Depending on their specific roles at a company, marketing specialists can earn competitive wages. In 2012, the average salary for a marketing specialist was $52,000, with the highest percentage of earners making over $70,000.